The Indianapolis Colts may have bucked their typical trend of a few picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they didn’t shy all that much away from adding athletes.

While athletic testing isn’t everything, it does play a role in a prospect’s draft stock. Elite athletes also have a higher chance of reaching their ceilings as players. This is something Colts general manager Chris Ballard has harped on in recent seasons.

There are many ways to quantify athleticism. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be focusing solely on Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which is a measurement of a player’s athletic testing in relation to both size and historic results. Each individual measurement is graded on a scale of 0-10 (10 being the highest).

2024 NFL Draft: How athletic is Colts’ class?

In terms of RAS, the Colts fared very well. Their nine-player draft class ranked 10th in the NFL with an average score of 8.296. That may not be in the elite tier like the 2023 class was, but this stock of players is far more proven on the field.

10. Indianapolis #Colts – Avg #RAS 8.296

This is a change from the norm for Indi despite landing in the top ten. Not one, but THREE players below 8.00? And one below 5.00! The scandal.

For real, though, this isn’t much of a deviation overall, with 2/3 of players over 8.00. pic.twitter.com/5rbFDLF58m

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 28, 2024

First-round selection Laiatu Latu is a strong athlete in his own right even if he somewhat bucks the trend of edge rushers the Colts typically target. His 32 5/8-inch arms are below the 33-inch threshold the Colts have had in the past while his 32-inch vertical and 9-foot-8-inch broad jump are also well below the norm for what Indy has targeted in recent history.

However, he’s far more polished of a pass rusher coming into the NFL, which also deviates from the norm as the Colts have historically drafted raw pass rushers who needed more development as an actual football player.

The Matt Goncalves pick also is a bit of a change but if you run his testing numbers as a guard instead of a tackle, his RAS comes out to 8.54.

The other pick that comes into question is the selection of Micah Abraham. As a Day 3 pick, it doesn’t matter as much, but the Colts fell in love with his ball skills as a potential depth piece at nickel corner.

For more Colts coverage, check out Kevin Hickey’s work on Sporting News.

The man accused of setting an IndyGo bus on fire last week was found with two lighters and smelled like “ignitable liquid” when he was arrested about a quarter mile from the scene, according to court documents.  

The bus was engulfed in flames at a stop on the north side of Indianapolis near the intersection of 38th Street and Meridian Streets on the morning of April 24.  

The 45-year-old man taken into custody in connection with the arson was located at a McDonald’s restaurant down 38^th Street.  

There were four people on the bus, including the driver. The bus driver said all passengers evacuated through the middle door of the vehicle. Indianapolis Fire Department officials said two passengers were transported to Eskenazi Hospital to treat slight injuries afterwards. 

Investigators used survelliance footage and information from the bus driver to make an arrest, according to a probable cause affidavit for the suspect’s arrest.  

IndyGo had cameras inside the bus and at the bus stop shelter. The man arrested at the McDonald’s had the same clothing on as the man who set the bus ablaze in the video, the affidavit reads.  

The video showed the man getting on the bus at the transit center in downtown Indianapolis around 6:45 a.m. He was carrying a clear, plastic milk jug with a brown liquid inside.  

About 20 minutes later, the video showed the man on the bus lighting a piece of paper on fire then blowing it out. He then moved to a seat closer to the bus’ exit and pretended to drink from the milk jug, according to the affidavit.

Previous coverage: IndyGo bus fire at 38th and Meridian ends in arson arrest

At about 7:10 a.m., as the bus was approaching the stop, the video showed the man pouring the liquid out of the jug then lighting paper on fire and throwing it toward the liquid on the floor of the bus, the affidavit reads.  

The liquid ignited into a large ball of fire, the video showed. The bus driver told investigators he had stopped the bus and was walking to the back to ask the man what was in the jug when the man started the fire, according to the affidavit.  

The passenger who started the fire had ridden the bus a few other times in the week prior, the bus driver stated. The driver identified the man detained at McDonald’s as the arsonist, the affidavit reads.  

The bus was a 2018 2018 BYD all-electric bus and the damage from the fire cost IndyGo $2.1 million, investigators learned.  

Demarcus McCloud was arrested in connection with the arson. He is charged with two counts of arson as well as arson resulting in bodily injury, court records show.  

McCloud has faced charges in several other criminal cases filed in Marion County in the past five years, including several drug-related cases. An attorney for McCloud was not yet listed in online court records before publication of this article.  

McCloud is currently in custody at Marion County’s Adult Detention Center, but prosecutors have filed a motion asking he be ordered to stay away from all IndyGo buses and stations if he were to be released before a trial.  

Prosecutors also filed a motion requesting a greater than standard bond for McCloud.  

“Defendant is a risk to the safety of the community, due to the nature of the allegations against him in this case,” prosecutors wrote in that motion.  

Online court records were not yet updated with scheduling information on the next hearing in the case before publication of this article.  

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

As backyard barbecues begin in neighborhoods across the city, so do the spring potholes, the loud outdoor parties, and the late-night barking. Here’s who to call when you are experiencing a problem in your neighborhood:

When there is a noise disturbance in my neighborhood

Indiana Municipal Code 391 covers a variety of noise disturbances not permitted within Indianapolis neighborhoods. Honking, yelling, animal noises such as dogs barking, loud vehicles and stereos all violate the Municipal Code when used in a way that disrupts or causes harm to citizens. Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., construction and maintenance work are considered noise disturbances. Dumping garbage, loading and unloading equipment, steam whistles, and exhaust noises are all not permitted between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Hospitals, schools, churches and professional performances in a venue are all in violation if the sound travels more than a certain number of feet. If you feel that there is a violation or one of the above listed disturbances in your neighborhood, call 311, the non-emergency police line, to report a noise disturbance. For information regarding what is and what is not a noise disturbance, visit this page to learn more.

Other reasons to contact the non-emergency police line are sidewalk and road repairs, abandoned vehicles, debris blocking roadways, garbage bin replacement, dangerous animal complaints, damaged traffic signs and signals, graffiti removals or leaking fire hydrants. Citizens can also issue requests, check the status of their requests and find additional resources here.

To report loud or speeding vehicles on your street, citizens can also submit a complaint through the IMPD’s portal here.

When I suspect illegal activity happening in my neighborhood

The “If you see something, say something” tip line is a phone number that allows citizens to reach out and report suspicious activity within their neighborhoods or local communities.

To report suspicious activity, call the tip line at 1-877-226-1026.

According to the Indiana government website, it is important to keep in mind the following when calling to report suspicious activity:

• Activity (Describe exactly what they are doing)
• Location (Provide exact location)
• Size (The number of people, ages, gender, and physical descriptions of each individual involved)
• Time (Provide date, time, and duration of activity)
• Equipment (Describe vehicle, color, make, license plate, guns, camera, etc.)

Additionally, you can search through the IMPD’s portal here to find out more information about Crimestoppers and learn about starting a crime watch program in your neighborhood.

When I smell gas

According to Citizens Energy, if you smell gas in your home or in your neighborhood, the first step you should take before calling anyone is to immediately leave the area. Do not call anyone while still in the area of the gas leak, according to Citizens Energy. If you notice the gas leak while you are on the phone with someone else, leave the area but do not hang up. In addition, Citizens Energy recommends the following precautions:

• Do not use any electrical appliances or turn on any lights.
• Do not light any matches or open/close any doors or windows.
• Do not start any vehicle parked in an attached garage of the site of the smell, or utilize any automatic garage openers